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I wish you all a “Happy New Year 2022”.
The COVID-19 pandemic is still here with new variants. Recommendations are constantly changing regarding the type of masks to wear, available pediatric vaccines, booster interval recommendations, and quarantine duration based on evolving knowledge related to this viral infection. I hope that you are all keeping pace with the changes, to help our patients that we provide care for. When this pandemic will end is anybody’s guess, but I hope that it will be soon and bring back normalcy to life.
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Dr. Stephanie Marcy wrote an insightful article on the pandemic, reflecting on how it has been affecting our youth.
Have you joined our Open Office Hours? The LA County Department of Public Health, in collaboration with AAP-CA2, has been hosting the COVID-19 Vaccine, Pediatrician and Family Medicine Info Hours every Tuesday at 5 PM. All members are invited to participate in these sessions. The Reach Out and Read office hours for members in the Inland Empire are on Thursdays at noon and at 6:30 PM.
I would like to welcome our new chapter members and encourage them to make use of the resources available on our website, aapca2.org
Together we need to defeat the 2022 MICRA initiative called FIPA (Fairness for Injured Patients Act). FIPA, if it passes, will increase the cost of healthcare in CA. It will also increase frivolous lawsuits, increase health insurance premiums for patients, and increase malpractice insurance premiums for physicians and hospitals. We can’t let that happen. Support CMA and CALPAC to defeat FIPA. This message is a reminder.
Are you interested in improving e-cigarette/vaping screening? Please consider signing up for UCLA's QI project, lead by Dr. Denise Nuñez. The project will require a minimum of three PDSA cycles and will offer CME and MOC part 4. Please see below for details.
Our Member Spotlight features Sarah Gustafson, MD, FAAP of UCLA, who is also a member of the AAP-CA2 Newsletter Editorial Review Board. I hope to see more of you participate and make this part of the newsletter interesting, by submitting your personal narratives to be published.
Our Advances in Pediatrics Symposium is set for February 26, 2022 at UCLA. This will be an in-person event, with a virtual option. We will have eleven speakers covering topics of wellness, immigrant children, COVID vaccines, COVID in schools, plant-based diets, autonomic dysfunction/POTS, implicit bias, legislative updates, and a distinguished panel of AAP presidents discussing threats to children and culturing change. Please save the date! Residents and medical students may attend at no cost.
Please see the Upcoming Events section for opportunities to engage with other Chapter 2 members. We will open the Zoom meetings 15 minutes prior to all events if you would like to join us for a virtual mixer.
If you missed any of the most recent webinars, you may watch the recordings by following the links provided in the Recent Events section below.
Best wishes,
D. Rajasekhar, MD, FAAP
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COVID-19 Dashboards by County |
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AAP-CA2 Advances in Pediatrics 2022 Symposium
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Registration is NOW OPEN for the event we have all been waiting for! In-Person/Virtual
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We are committed to providing you with a rich learning experience. Registration is now open. UCLA is monitoring the current Omicron variant surge. As of now, we still have a green flag for an in-person conference on February 26th (With appropriate COVID precautions: Large ballroom at 20% of capacity, vaccination, masking and distancing). We would love for you to join us in person. Alternative, you may register for a Virtual Only option. Please register.
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Please visit the event website
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Presidents Panel
Threats to Children - Culturing Change
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“Why Taking Off Against the Wind After the Pandemic Has Created So Much Turbulence for Our Youth”
By Stephanie Marcy, PhD, ABPP
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It’s been a long, challenging 22 months since, literally overnight, the country shut down in March 2020 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. During a time of division, something bigger than all of us became the single and powerful common denominator to unite us. We all became vulnerable, some of us more than others. While we were all in the same lake, we were in different boats, with no definite captain leading us. Read more...
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The Quorum
January 2022: The Legislature is Back in Session
By Karinne Van Groningen, MD, MPH - Legislative and Policy Analyst
The California legislature reconvened on January 3rd. As we start this new session, let’s review what this means for bills introduced in 2021, go over the 2022 budget, and discuss active bills that address the pediatric mental health crisis.
- What are "two-year" bills?
- What's going on with the 2022 Budget?
- Pediatric Behavioral and Mental Health Active Bills
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Community Advocacy Opportunity - Los Angeles
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Opportunity with the Los Angeles Department of Public Health:
LA DPH is looking for pediatricians to speak at school events, such as parent info sessions, regarding the COVID vaccine for children and quickly approaching LAUSD vaccine mandate deadline. Speaking opportunities are mostly virtual, with some in-person opportunities. Prior to any speaking engagement you will be provided with prepared presentations and parent FAQs. If you're interested in this community engagement effort please fill out the form [HERE]
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Advertisement - Employment Opportunity
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I am a PERMANENTE PHYSICIAN.
A skilled practitioner who seeks to create high-quality outcomes through integrated care.
At the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG), a physician-led partnership organization with a patient-centered and evidence-based approach to medicine, we believe in giving every member of our community the opportunity to live a happy, healthy life. From the physicians we employ to the patients we serve, our mission is to provide a level of care and support that enables each of us to achieve our best.
PEDIATRICIANS
Full-Time and Per Diem opportunities in Southern California
SCPMG is an organization with strong values, which provides our physicians with the resources and support systems to ensure they can focus on practicing medicine, connecting with one another, and providing the best possible care to their patients. In Southern California, you'll enjoy amazing recreational activities, spectacular natural sceneries, and an exceptional climate.
SCPMG is proud to offer its physicians:
- An organization that has served the communities of Southern California for more than 65 years
- A physician-led practice that equally emphasizes professional autonomy and cross-specialty collaboration
- Comprehensive administrative support
- An environment that promotes excellent service to patients
- A fully implemented electronic medical record system
Full-time Opportunities: partnership eligibility after 3 years, malpractice insurance and tail coverage provided, comprehensive benefits package, and excellent salary. For questions or additional information, please contact Glenn Gallo at 866-439-5771 or Glenn.Gallo@kp.org.
Per Diem Opportunities: flexible schedule, malpractice insurance and tail coverage provided, and non-benefitted. Must have CA medical license and paid DEA certificate. For questions or additional information, please contact Alejandro Camacho at 866-439-5771 or Alejandro.Camacho@kp.org.
We are an AAP/EEO employer.
The Answer to Health Care in America.
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Chapter Immunizations Champion Resources
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Candace M. Gragnani, MD, MPH, FAAP
AAP-CA2 Immunizations Champion
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New Red Book Webinar on Increasing Influenza Vaccination Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic
A new webinar on Increasing Influenza Vaccination Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic is now available on Red Book online. In this short webinar, Dr Annika Mai Hofstetter covers current influenza vaccination rates in children, common barriers to influenza vaccination, and strategies to improve timely influenza vaccination. Watch the webinar here.
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AAP Reminder and Recall Pages
Immunization rates remain lower than usual. Use proven strategies to bring patients into your office for on-time (reminder) or overdue (recall) vaccinations, and take ready-to-use sample messages. View the page here.
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A recent EIN posting (January 12, 2022) described pediatric patients with presumed post-COVID encephalopathy. These school-aged children had classic symptoms of encephalopathy/encephalitis, with headache, vomiting, weakness, dizziness, ataxia, confusion, nystagmus, and seizures approximately 2 weeks after COVID-19. The children described in the post had no signs or symptoms of respiratory infection, nor were they thought to have a presentation consistent with MIS-C.
PIDS invites you to share whether you have seen similar cases in your practice so that additional interrogations can occur as needed.
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Advocacy - Against Flavored Tobacco
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AAP-CA2 continues to be involved with advocacy against vaping and flavored tobacco products.
City of Los Angeles
The City of L.A. Flavored Tobacco Ordinance is still idling, and City Council has not made any determination to move forward. AAP-CA2 is part of the L.A. Families Fighting Flavored Tobacco Coalition. A total of 27 organizations signed on to a full-page ad that was featured in the LA Times in December. Click to View
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South Pasadena
The South Pasadena Public Safety Commission met on January 10th to discuss a potential new ordinance for the South Pasadena Municipal Code regarding prohibiting the sale of all tobacco products. In support of the proposed ordinance were Flavored Tobacco Coalition Members (Which includes AAP-CA2), the South Pasadena Youth Commission and the parents coalition, educators, health professionals, Senator Portantino and Assemblymember Holden. Upon conclusion, the South Pasadena Public Safety Commission recommended the proposed Tobacco Retail Sales Ban Ordinance as written to the City Council. The next step is for the City Council to approve it or not, at the next regular council meeting.
If the City Council were to adopt the ordinance as presented, the implementation timeline would be as follows:
- February 16, 2022: First Reading of Ordinance
- March 2, 2022: Second Reading
- April 2, 2022: Ordinance Takes Effect
- September 15, 2022: Enforcement Takes Effect
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QI PROJECT - UCLA Anti-Vaping Task Force
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Participate in QI - Get MOC Part 4 - Improve Outcomes
The UCLA Health Preventive Medicine education team is interested in collaborating with clinics on quality improvement work to incorporate tobacco use/vaping treatment and screening in pediatrics practices. The goal is to improve screening, identification, treatment, and referral policies of pediatric patients using tobacco/vaping products during clinic visits. In addition, training will be developed to provide local providers with resources on implementing cessation referral policies. The funded project is a collaboration between the California Department of Health and UCLA to reduce the impact of vaping among youth and young adults in our community. Our team will ensure to support your team throughout the process, including sourcing up-to-date information to provide clinic staff with resources for screening, identification, treatment, and referral protocols.
Project activities:
- A contract will be signed to adopt and implement the voluntary cessation, assessment, and referral policy
- A team of administrators/providers will meet to plan the design and integration of the project into the practice group
- Representatives from the clinics will be interviewed about the current state of the protocols and potential barriers to adopting a voluntary policy
- A pre-and post-policy screening survey will be administered to staff at clinics which adopted the voluntary policy
- Pediatric clinics will apply and participate in quality improvement (QI) work to increase screening, identification and treatment of pediatric patients using tobacco/vaping products with a minimum of 3 Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles
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Sarah Gustafson, M. D., F.A.A.P.
Practice location: Harbor-UCLA Pediatrics
Number of years in practice: 4
Dr. Sarah Gustafson is a pediatric hospitalist in the Department of Pediatrics at Harbor-UCLA and is an Assistant Clinical Professor at David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) at UCLA and at Charles Drew University College of Medicine and Science. She has completed the two-year medical education fellowship at UCLA and is currently in an AAP national program for clinical teaching, Read more ...
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The Member Spotlight is written to highlight our chapter membership. Chapter members can submit personal narratives about themselves with a focus on how they maintain their physician wellness in the face of everyday struggles and challenges. Authors may also choose to highlight a practice, volunteer activities, QI projects, etc. The purpose of the spotlight series is to encourage and foster unity and support within the chapter. |
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Please Share Your Story
Are you currently enrolled in a pediatric or medicine-pediatrics residency in our Chapter region? Are you involved in a project that you would like to showcase? Do you practice a sport, or have an artistic talent that you would like to share? We want to showcase YOU in the Residency Corner of our Chapter Newsletter. Please find the submission guidelines HERE.
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Reach Out and Read - New Providers
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Welcome to the latest addition to our Reach Out and Read Network of providers:
MyROR Video Tutorial: Progress Reports
Latest Podcast Episode: " Helping Kids Face Challenging Emotions "
Parents love seeing their children experience feelings of joy, happiness, and success. Conversely, they often feel a desire to protect their children against feeling sadness, anxiety or a sense of loss. But is that best? And is it even possible? Newbery award-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly and Behavioral Pediatrician Dr. Nerissa Bauer join us to discuss how to parent kids when they’re faced with challenging emotions.
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The Reach Out and Read Inland Empire is funded by First 5 Riverside and First 5 San Bernardino to bring free books at no cost to practices in the Inland Empire. Join us. Become a ROR provider and help improve child literacy now.
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Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Program Call for Proposals is open!
The Community Access To Child Health (CATCH) program is a national initiative of the AAP that supports pediatricians to collaborate within their communities to plan and/or implement projects that advance the health of all children. The CATCH Call for Proposals is open through January 24, 2022 at 11:59 pm CT. Pediatricians and pediatric residents in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canadian AAP chapters, with innovative ideas to plan or implement initiatives that address critical child health issues in their local communities may apply for $10,000 and $2,000, respectively.
The Resident Call for Proposals guidelines include targeted funding opportunities on more than 10 topics including oral health, community pediatrics, environmental health, developmental and behavioral pediatrics, emergency medicine, school health, obesity prevention, and child abuse/neglect.
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Every Tuesday | COVID-19 Open Office Hours
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Join us every Tuesday at 5 PM, during the "Open Info Hours" to learn about COVID-19 vaccine topics. Brought to you by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and AAP-CA2.
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Recent Topics/Slides
Links
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Every Thursday | ROR Open Office Hours
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THURSDAYS @ Noon, and @ 6:30 PM
RORIE Open Office Hours
Want to learn how to become a Reach Out and Read provider, and how to get age-appropriate books to your patients? Join us every Thursday for our ROR Open Office Hours from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (PT), and also from 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM (PT)!
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January 20 | Section on Early Career Physicians (SOECP)
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Leadership, Equity, and Advancement in Pediatrics (LEAP) Webinar Series
Webinar series presented by the AAP Section on Early Career Physicians
Join us for our Leadership, Equity, and Advancement in Pediatrics (LEAP) webinar series designed to educate, empower, and equip our early career members so that they have the tools to lead with confidence.
- Graceful Self-Promotion | Thursday, January 20, 2022 | 7-8pm CT
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January 25 - CHOC Children's Lecture Series
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CHOC Children’s Virtual Pediatric Lecture Series provides online CME lectures at no cost. |
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January 27 - Pediatric Cardiology Lecture
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January 27, 2022 @ 6:30 PM
Please join us on January 27, 2022 for a lecture via Zoom with guest speaker, Dr. Saar Danon.
Registration required. Join early for a virtual mixer.
Chest Pain, Palpitations, and Syncope:
Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death
- 6:15 PM Virtual Mixer
- 6:30 PM Lecture
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Saar Danon, MD
Medical Director, Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Cardiac Catheterization
MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach
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February 8 - High Desert Town Hall/Lecture
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February 8 @ 5:30 PM
AAP-CA2 High Desert Town Hall/Lecture (Via Zoom)
Join us on February 8th at 5:30 PM for the AAP-CA2 High Desert Town Hall/Lecture (Via Zoom)
Host: AAP-CA2 Area Representative Akhil Sharma, MD, FAAP.
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AGENDA
5:15 PM – Join early for virtual mixer.
5:30 PM – Lecture, followed by a legislative update.
Abdominal Pain in Children
Medical Director, Pediatric Gastroenterology
Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC)
Legislative Update
D. Rajasekhar, MD, FAAP
President, AAP-CA2
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February 26 - Advances in Pediatrics Symposium
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In Person | Virtual Option
Please visit the event website
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May 20-21, 2022 - Inflammatory Brain Disorders
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Inflammatory Brain Disorders Conference 2022 – Fee Waivers
Hosted by Neuroimmune Foundation
Fee waivers available for 500 providers to attend the 2022 conference free of charge. Waivers to be processed the first week of January.
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Welcome New Chapter Members |
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Welcome the following NEW members who joined the Chapter in December.
Thank you for your support!
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Bimal Agrawal, MD, FAAP - South Pasadena
Kaosar Al Atassi, MD, FAAP - Los Angeles
Ronald Becker, MD, FAAP - Murrieta
Heli Bhatt, MD, FAAP - Riverside
Naga Ramya Chowdary, MD, FAAP - Arcadia
Christopher Dael, MD, FAAP - Corona
Ngoc Dinh, DO, FAAP - Pasadena
Maria Garberoglio, MD, FAAP - Redlands
Alexandra McCollum, MD, FAAP - Los Angeles
Blanca Ortiz, MD, FAAP - Murrieta
Jennifer Stiekema, DNP, PNP - Calabasas
Zahia Zayed, MD - Los Angeles
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Enterprise Membership - Did you know? |
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Signing up your entire practice (clinical and non-clinical staff) qualifies for a 20% discount on Chapter membership dues. Contact us for details.
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Did you miss a lecture? Click on any image to watch. Please subscribe
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Reach Out and Read IE
Are you a pediatrician in Riverside or San Bernardino County? Through a generous grant from First 5 Riverside and First 5 San Bernardino, the AAP Chapter 2 can provide free books and support to start a Reach Out and Read program at your clinic. Learn more ...
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Los Angeles County Immigrant Youth Resource Toolkit |
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The Immigrant Youth Task Force (IYTF) at UCLA and the American Academy of Pediatrics California Chapter 2 (AAP-CA2) invite you to visit The Los Angeles County Immigrant Youth Resource Toolkit, a website consolidating community resources in the greater LA area for immigrant youth and families. Our goal is to help professionals from all disciplines address the needs of their immigrant youth patients/clients with regards to health care, legal services, education, social services, and more. As our toolkit continues to evolve, we encourage you to explore and use it in your practice going forward.
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Chapter Committees and Sections |
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Chapter committees are great opportunities to get involved in areas that interest you the most. Furthermore, if you are a Fellow member (FAAP), local involvement could position you for leadership opportunities at National AAP. To learn more about our various Committees and Sections, and to sign up, please visit aapca2.org/committees.
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Advertise in Our Newsletter |
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AAP-CA2 invites you to advertise in our newsletter
AAP-CA2 publishes its electronic newsletter, Peds@CA2, which is emailed to its 1,500+ members on the second weekend every month. Chapter members and non-profit organizations receive a 50% discount. Please follow the link below for more information.
For advertisement rates and guidelines, please click here.
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Article submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The newsletter is published the second Sunday of each month.
You may direct questions and article submissions to the "American Academy of Pediatrics - CA Chapter 2" <chapter2@aapca2.org>.
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The AAP-CA2 Newsletter Editorial Review Board |
Established in July 2020 to highlight educational content and resources of value to chapter members, and to showcase our chapter membership. |
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AAP-CA2 Chapter Excellence Award
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For the ninth year in a row, the AAP-CA2 is a recipient of the 2020 AAP Award of Chapter Excellence in recognition for its accomplishments during the 2020 calendar year. We would like to thank you, our members, for your loyalty as we advocate for children, pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists, bringing you opportunities for engagement and professional development. |
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Thank you to the 1,262 who follow us on Twitter! @AAPCA2
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